Hi guys! If you don’t know, Nadine Brandes is one of my favorite authors! She’s one of the kindest and sweetest people you’ll ever meet, and her books are so amazing and inspirational. I love her YA Christian speculative fiction Out of Time series along with her latest YA historical fantasy standalone Fawkes. Now, she’s back with another YA historical fantasy standalone featuring the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov of Russia! I’m super excited for her latest novel, and she’s releasing the cover TODAY! Check it out below!

Are you ready for the cover?

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I’m going to give you a tiny history lesson as part of the reveal!

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Here’s a picture of Anastasia Romanov (courtesy of Wikipedia).

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Anastasia Romanov was the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last monarch of Russia. The Russian Empire has been ruled by the Romanovs/the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovs for nearly two centuries.

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World War I broke out in 1914, and Russia as part of the Triple Entente joined the fight as it allied with Serbia against Austria-Hungary.

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Hardships and downturns soon crippled the Russian economy, and this led to bread riots breaking out in the streets.

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With the Bolsheviks, an anti-monarchial Marxist party led by Vladimir Lenin, rising to power, the February Revolution of 1917 led to the forced abdication of the throne by Tsar Nicholas II.

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The Russian Revolution was well underway, and the royal family was captured and later executed.

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Russia became a Communist nation, which would last until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Many conspiracy theories later arose regarding the possible survival of some of the members of the Romanovs, especially Alexei and Anastasia.

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Did Anastasia live? Modern science and DNA testing proves that all family members were executed, but many people still like to believe otherwise.

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In Romanov, Nadine Brandes explores the possibility of Anastasia surviving in this YA historical fantasy standalone brimming with magic.

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Check out the beautiful cover below!

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It’s so gorgeous, isn’t it? Nadine’s books always have some of the most beautiful covers!

About the Book

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

Romanov will release from Thomas Nelson on May 7th, 2019! Pre-order it today!

I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.

Hi guys! A few months ago, I went to the Southeastern Young Adult Festival (or SE-YA for short) and I met some amazing Middle Grade authors there! I had the lovely opportunity to chat with Monica Tesler, author of the Bounders series, which looks very epic! I currently have a copy at home waiting to be read, and I can’t wait! Today, Monica and I are celebrating the COVER REVEAL of the FOURTH book in her series, The Heroes Return, with a special guest post. I hope you enjoy!

About Earth Force Rising (Bounders #1)

Bounders have always known they were different, but they never suspected they were the key to saving Earth.

Jasper Adams is excited to join the Earth Force military agency as part of its first class of Bounders, a team of kids training to be elite astronauts. He can’t wait to connect with others like him and learn to pilot spaceships that can travel across the galaxy in an instant.

But when Jasper arrives at the space station, nothing is as it seems. Security is sky-high, and Jasper and his new friends soon realize that Earth Force has been keeping secrets—one of the biggest being a powerful, highly-classified technology that allows the Bounders to teleport through space without a ship. Only Bounders can use this tech, which leads Jasper to a sinister truth—humanity is facing a threat greater than any they’ve ever known, and Bounders are the ones standing between their planet and destruction.

Will Jasper and his friends rebel against Earth Force for hiding the truth or fulfill their duty and fight for their planet? The fate of Earth may rest on their choice.

Building Fantastical Worlds in Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction

I recently had the privilege of being on the faculty for the New England Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (NESCBWI) Annual Spring Conference. I love this conference. I’ve gone every year since 2012 when I was a new writer with no agent and definitely no publishing deal. This year, in addition to teaching a session on the business side of publishing, I taught a class on writing commercial series in middle grade and young adult literature.

As I was preparing my materials for the class and engaging with my enthusiastic students, I was reminded how much I love writing science and speculative fiction and fantasy for middle grade and young adult readers. And one of the very best parts is creating the fictional worlds in which my characters live, dream, interact, and often get into huge heaps of trouble.

Why do I love building these worlds?

The first and easiest answer is that it’s fun. I love escapist fiction, both as a reader and a writer, and there’s nothing better than creating my own fictional worlds in which to escape. In the Bounders series, for example, there are several dystopian, not-so-great aspects of the fictional, future world, but those are balanced out by a lot of cool stuff. Suction chutes to travel between buildings at the space station? Check. Jet packs to fly? Check. Super cool alien technology that lets you bound through space without a ship? Check. I had the best time coming up with all that stuff. If you’re writing middle grade or young adult sci-fi and fantasy, I think the cool and fun factors are a must, even if your worlds have a dark underbelly. Readers want to imagine themselves in the worlds you create, so it can’t be all doom and gloom.

Hi guys! One of my favorite Street Teams that I am a part of is Nadine Brandes’s Ninjas! Nadine’s Out of Time trilogy is one of the most inspiring, life-changing series I have ever read, and I am so glad that I get to have my Ninja leader here on the blog for a few questions. But today is also a HUGE day for her: she is unveiling the cover and title of her upcoming book, which is a YA historical fantasy!!! If you know how much I love historical fiction and fantasy, you know that I am EXCITED about this book. I just read A Time to Rise, which is her trilogy’s conclusion, and I enjoyed it so much (I am reviewing it later this week!) that I hope my excitement for Nadine’s upcoming book is going to rub off on you. Let me tell you, the cover and the blurb already has me pumped. I hope you enjoy my exclusive interview and cover reveal!

About A Time to Die

How would you live if you knew the day you’d die?

Parvin Blackwater has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside.

In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall — her people’s death sentence.

What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her Clock is running out.

1. I am such a big fan of your Out of Time trilogy, which follows Parvin Blackwater as she discovers God’s calling for her to challenge her country’s use of Clocks that determine when a person dies and the Wall in which Radicals (those without Clocks) are thrust onto the other side. What inspired you to incorporate your Christian faith into your fiction work? How has the series pushed you to pursue further shalom in your life?

Incorporating my faith into my work was never a choice—it’s who I am. Writing is a very personal thing—I think it’s that way for every author. Every book I write has a piece of me—a piece of my personal journey or question or recent enlightenment. It would actually be much harder for me to try and keep my faith out of my stories because that would be making the stories a lesser part of myself—less personal and real. (Does that make any sense?)

2. Would you want to have a Clock and know the day you’d die? If so, what would you do differently in your life? If not, how would you live day by day (something Parvin learns later in the series)?

No! I never want a Clock! LOL. I strive to live day by day already—content in the time that God has given me and living fully present each day.

3. Did you surprise yourself as you continued to write and revise the series? Without giving away any major spoilers, were there any events or character deaths that weren’t originally in your plans?

Ahem. Yes, I was surprised by a LOT. A certain injury, to note. Unfortunately every character death was planned far in advance because they were crucial to the plot. But there were a couple characters who lived that I’d originally intended to kill off. 😉 No, I’m not going to tell you.

4. Why do you love writing? When did you first have a love for writing, and how was it formed?

Oh my. Do we really have time for me to list all my reasons? Probably not. One reason I love writing is because I get to create. I think that’s a huge part of being made in God’s image—being a fellow creator. And I connect with Him on such an intimate level. 🙂 I’ve always been a storyteller, but didn’t really try writing for publication until I was in college.

The Out of Time Series forced me to think about the question, “How would you live if you knew the day you’d die?” And I really had to examine if I was living a life the way it was intended to be lived. Writing that series really pushed me to a new level of intentionality.

5. What are some the craziest things you’ve done for book research? Why do you believe it’s important for authors to correctly portray certain experiences by doing them themselves?

I don’t know that every author needs to do the way I do book research. But it’s just what works for me. I’m an adventurer and I get all my best descriptions from doing things first hand. (In fact, I’m traveling to England in four days to do some more research!) What are some crazy things I’ve done? I’ve waded through a cattail marsh, rock climbed down a cliff (but with a harness), eaten raw potatoes, sailed through the Panama canal, chased a boxcar train, gone dogsledding….there’s really not much I haven’t done for the sake of book research. Ha!

6. You consider yourself as an adventurer! What are some of your favorite places that you’ve traveled to? Have you been to the cities and countries featured in your books (i.e. Unity Village, France, Russia, Panama, Antarctica, etc.)?

Well, Unity Village is a name I stole from a sign, but it’s certainly not a place that inspired my story. But other than that, I’ve drawn research from Russia, France, Panama, California…I really wanted to go to Antarctica, but that was a bit too big to swing. So instead I interviewed my grandparents who have been there!

7. What are your favorite books, genres, and authors? Which ones have impacted you and your writing style the most?

Fantasy!! Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings…those have all inspired me. I think Harry Potter probably inspired me the most to write in the speculative genres. And then Jill Williamson’s series—The Blood of Kings—really showed me how powerful fiction can be from a Christian worldview. 🙂

8. Your bookstagram photos are so gorgeous, and it has over 6,000 well-deserved followers! What’s your secret to creating such beautiful pictures?

Aww, you’re so sweet! I love bookstagramming! It’s one way I relax after a long writing day. My “secret” is seriously just…practice. I’ve been bookstagramming for years and only just figured out how to fix the lighting for photos or how to edit them to look sharper and clearer. I finally settled into a theme I adore. But I had to be willing to experiment to find what I liked and didn’t like. My best advice would be…experiment! Try new things! Observe accounts you like and learn from them. 🙂

9. What do you do when you’re not writing? Is writing a part-time or full-time job?

Writing is a full-time job. But it hardly ever feels like work! I love it so much that I’m never dreading Mondays or afraid of having to “work” all day. But there are times I need breaks and I’ll usually read or spend time with Mister Ninja (hubby).

10. So Ninja Master, how did you decide upon calling your street team the Ninjas?

Honestly, because “Ninja” started with N and so did “Nadine”. Ha! But “Nadine’s Ninjas” sounded so fun and cool and I totally see my readers as these stealthy brilliant warriors who go out and spread the word and save the world.

11. What can we expect from you in the future? Could you share any secrets about your upcoming works?

MORE BOOKS! [wink] My next two books will be historical fantasy—a new genre for me. And then I have some ideas for after that, but those are too secret for now. 😉 I plan to continue adventuring and digging into my relationship with Jesus because He’s the one who brings me on the best adventures!

12. Would you like to share any tips to any aspiring authors or writers?

WRITE THE THING. If you want to write, then do it. Write the book. Don’t worry about the first draft, it always has room to grow. Instead, write as though no one is watching. Write freely and enjoy the process. Every part of it is beautiful.

Also, my biggest piece of advice is to pray over your work. I know some people may not be the praying sort, but I’d just say…time to learn. 😉 God will change and grow your story in beautiful ways beyond even your fantastic imagination!! ❤

Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you so much, Nadine, for coming! I’m so honored to have you on my blog!

Now onto the cover reveal!

Let me tell you that this cover is one of the most GORGEOUS ones I have ever seen. I definitely need a copy once it’s printed to display at home. I cannot take my eyes off it because it is breathtaking. I’m going to give a few hints of what event the book covers before you read the blurb–the first one is that I’ve never seen any fictional book about this event so it’s intriguing me so much!

Scroll down to see the cover!

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Here’s a tiny hint:

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It’s set in England.

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That was very broad.

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It’s set a few years after the start of the 17th century.

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Do you have a guess?

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I’ll give you one last hint!

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I hope you remember, remember that certain date!

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Well, the book revolves around…

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The Gunpowder Plot of 1605!

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And here is the cover!

About Fawkes

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King James.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes will release on July 10th, 2018 from Thomas Nelson (Harper Collins)

I am an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. I never received my Hogwarts letter, but rest assured I’m no Muggle (and would have been in Ravenclaw House, thank you very much.) This Harry Potter super-nerd has been known to eat an entire package of Oreos (family-size) by herself, and watches Fiddler on the Roof at least once a year. I write about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. My dystopian trilogy (The Out of Time Series) challenged me to pursue shalom, which is now my favorite word (followed closely by bumbershoot.) When I’m not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, me and my knight-in-shining armor (nickname: “hubby”) are out pursuing adventures.

Hi guys! Today Elise Kova and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for THE DRAGONS OF NOVA, which releases July 11, 2017! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win assigned ARC of the book!!

On to the reveal!

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Do you wanna see the cover?

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I know you wanna!

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Fun Fact: I just bought my e-copy of The Alchemists of Loom and I’m super excited to join the read along!

Cvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust — hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons. On Nova,
Ari finds herself closer to exacting vengeance against the traitor who killed everything — and everyone – she once loved. But before Ari can complete her campaign of revenge, the Crimson Court exposes her shadowed past and reveals something even more dangerous sparking between her and Cvareh.

While Nova is embroiled in blood sport and political games, the rebels on Loom prepare for an all-out assault on their Dragon oppressors. Florence unexpectedly finds herself at the forefront of change, as her unique blend of skills — and quick-shooting accuracy — makes her a force to be reckoned with. For the future of her world, she vows vengeance
against the Dragons.

Before the rebellion can rise, though, the Guilds must fall.

Exclusive Excerpt!

They’re coming from the front!” Nora screamed over the crescendo of the engine gaining speed. On cue, the train lurched as an endwig was splattered to a bloody mess on the point of the engine’s pilot.

Bloody cogs,” Florence cursed. The Vicar Alchemist had sent her to protect the mission as the Revolver, but one of her wasn’t going to be enough. “I’m going to the engine.”

“What are we going to do?” The usually self-sure Nora had the face of a cornered hare.

You’re going to fight.” Florence passed her a weapon.

I’ve never shot a gun before.”

Now is a great time to learn.”

“I’m an Alchemist!”

Seriously, Florence was a breath away from shooting the woman herself. “You’re dead if you don’t adapt! There’s three more bombs exactly like the ones you just used, right there. Just fend them off until the train gets up to speed. But don’t use any other disks.”

Florence had no more time to waste as the train lurched again. They just had to survive until the train reached full speed. For all the endwig were, they certainly couldn’t keep up with a locomotive.

She hoped.

The wind whipped her hair around her face as she stuck her head from the train car. Florence reached out for the ladder to the right of the door, scaling up before another endwig could emerge. She swung up just in time as an explosion nearly blew her foot clean off.

“By the five guilds, you two only had three bombs!” she screamed over the wind, not knowing if they could hear. “Ration them a bit!”

Standing, Florence looked in horror at the tracks ahead. Dozens of endwig lined the path, running eagerly to meet the train. She loaded six canisters at once.

Jumping to the tender, Florence lost her footing atop the moving train car. A nail snapped clean off as she sought a grip that would prevent her from being thrown to certain death. If she fell now, she would never get back on the vessel. She’d be torn limb from limb.

Gritting her teeth, Florence rose to her knees, shooting two endwig in the process. She wedged herself between two grooves on the top of the tender. Blood pooled around her shins as she dug them into the metal for a grip where there was none, but she was stable enough to take aim, and that meant she could open fire.

Five shots down, and Florence reloaded her gun. Endwig came relentlessly like a never-ending nightmare. But the train didn’t gain any more speed. She repeated the process, waiting for the vessel to be like her bullets, whizzing through the night at deadly speeds.

“Anders, now would be a great time to open her up!” she screamed.

There was no reply.

“Anders, Rotus, we need speed, get us out of here faster!”

Five long claws curled around the door of the engine in answer. Florence watched in horror as the white silhouette of an endwig, dotted in the black blood of a Chimera, pulled itself from the engine room. Florence swallowed hard.

They were without Rivet and Raven, stumbling through the darkness, enemies at all sides. She raised her gun slowly, looking fearlessly at the face of death itself. Her revolver was steady over the rocking of the train.

“You think I’m not used to this?” Her mouth curled into a mad grin. “I’ve been fighting my way out of the darkness my whole life. And you’re not going to stop me now.”

Gunshots echoed through the forest.

About Elise:

Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before
crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next
magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is
not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with
readers on social media. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Air
Awakens Series as well as the Loom Saga (Keymaster, 2017).

Hello! As I write this cover reveal post (you’re going to love this cover, I can tell), I am currently listening to the Gusty Garden Galaxy piece from Super Mario Galaxy while smelling hints of my dad’s barbeque… Oh how everything is slowing down! Finally, I can do things I love! I haven’t had days like these in forever. I’m now able to do more blogging, practice for music, and whatnot. Now, here’s our latest cover reveal!

Jaded by K. M. Robinson will release on June 27th by Snowy Wings Publishing!

Her father failed in his mission to take control from the Commander, a defeat that has cost Jade her life. She will die as punishment. Now she belongs to the Commander’s son—as his wife. Knowing his intent is to quietly kill her in revenge, Jade’s every move is calculated to survive—until she learns her death ensures the safety of her father and her entire town.

Roan doesn’t want to kill Jade, but once his family isolates her from her father and community, his only choice is to go through with the plan. Jade doesn’t make it easy as she tries to sway him into falling for her. Each misstep makes him question his cause. Each moment makes every decision harder, but the Commander won’t allow him to fail.

One chooses life. One chooses death. In the midst of the chaos, only one will succeed.

Hello! It’s Hump Day! (I know, that’s so old.) We have another cover reveal for you this Wednesday (I guess Wednesdays are the most popular days for cover reveals!), and this time it’s an anthology of short stories by some amazing authors who I’ve had the wonderful chance to be able to interview and chat with, including Melanie McFarlane, E. M. Fitch, and Dorothy Dreyer! Enjoy!

About Fragments of Darkness

Fragments of Darkness

An Anthology of Thrilling Stories

Release date: September 13, 2017

From between the cracks of imagination, among the splinters of the unknown, and upon the winds of mystery, lurk the Fragments of Darkness.

With legends of killer mermaids to tales of Civil War era ghosts, ten passionate story-tellers come together to bring you yarns of fantasy, paranormal, and chills and thrills that will entertain, intrigue, and enchant young adult and new adult readers.

Hi guys! This week has been such a busy week for me; I have boatloads of homework I have to finish soon. In the meantime, I am happy to be a part in revealing the cover of one of my most anticipated reads of 2017! It is Golden by K. M. Robinson, one of the nicest and coolest authors I have met! We’ve both met through the Snowy Wings Publishing Snow Angels Street Team (in the sidebar is my badge! Go check it out and sign up and join the Facebook group!), and we have been in touch for a while! She’s so amazing, and I’ve loved talking with her, and I am really looking forward to reading her debut book Golden!

Golden by K.M. Robinson releases on March 28, 2017 from Snowy Wings Publishing

About Golden

When the girl with the golden hair betrays everyone, not even she has hope of surviving.

The stories say that Goldilocks was a naïve girl who wandered into a house one day. Those stories were wrong. She was never naïve. It was all a perfectly executed plan to get her into the Baers’ group to destroy them.

Trained by her cousin, Lowell, and handler, Shadoe, Auluria’s mission is to destroy the Baers by getting close to the youngest brother, Dov, his brother and sister-in-law and the leaders of the Baers’ group. When she realizes Dov isn’t as evil as her cousin led her to believe, she must figure out how to play both sides or her deception will cause everyone in her world to burn.

If her allegiances are discovered, either side could destroy her…if the Society doesn’t get her first.